The Sea is Freedom
by All-things
Summary: Robert turned his head to face the young man. "I'm sorry," he said. "No," Andrew sobbed turning his blue eyes on Peter, "Newkirk you can't die. Please, don't die!" Warning: Character Death. Songfic.


A/N: This is another song fic. The song I chose this time is called "The Finish Line" by Snow Patrol. It always helps me to listen to the song while I read a song fic because it gives a feel to the story. I understand if you can't do that (I've been blessed with the ability to focus on one thing in the mist of chaos) but if you can I suggest you do. This hasn't been beta'd so forgive any mistakes. I'm pretty sure there are none, but I could have missed something. Please enjoy.

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><p>The Sea is Freedom<p>

By All-things

~I~

_The earth is warm next to my ear._

As Peter lay on the ground, he couldn't help but notice the heat that radiated from the gun next to his right ear. The warmth from the used and empty weapon puzzled him because it was cold out. Didn't metal cool faster than a human body? If that were true then why was he so cold and the gun so warm?

He shivered.

_Insect noise is all that I hear._

The ringing in his head sounded kind of like crickets, but that had to be his imagination. Topy had always said that he had a big imagination.

He blinked.

_A magic trick makes the world disappear._

His mind wandered from the warm gun and non-existent crickets. He remembered when he had shown Mavis a magic trick. It was a disappearing acted. He remembered telling his baby sister to close her eyes and make the world vanish.

He smiled.

_The skies are dark, they're dark but they're clear._

Of all the things to be thankful for, he was glad that he was in a field. The stars were beautiful. Peter found very few things to be beautiful. Pretty, yes, but beautiful? No. Beauty was when you found yourself unable to breathe. Beauty was when tears welded up in your eyes as you _thanked God_ for granting us eyes so we could see it.

He cried.

_A distant motorcade and suddenly there's joy._

The sound of running feet drowned out the crickets. _"Pierre!"_

He sighed.

_The snow and ticker tape blurs all my senses numb._

Snowflakes danced around with the stars in the sky before his eyes. Then someone was in his line of sight leaning over him. Pain shot up from his stomach as a heavy weight pressed down on him. He couldn't breathe.

He panicked.

_It's like the finish line where everything just ends._

"Shh, Pierre,it is me, Louis. You are safe. I am here. I must apply pressure to the wound."

He breathed.

_The crack of radios seems close enough to touch._

He heard the sound of a radio and someone talking. Louie said something to the person on the other side. Louie, his little mate, was here.

"Ya 'aven't fainted," he murmured softly to the Frenchman.

"What?"

"The blood… Ya 'aven't fainted."

"_Non_, I have not."

"Wonder why?"

"Shh, you must not talk. You must save your strength. The others are coming. They will be here."

It was hard to understand his little mate, but Peter supposed that was because Louie was crying.

He coughed.

_Cold water, cleaning my wounds._

The snow had melted from underneath him, from when he'd still been warm.

"I'm cold," he whispered.

"I know, but you must stay awake. The others will be here soon."

He waited.

_A sad parade, with a single balloon._

"LeBeau?"

"Over here!"

Now there were more faces and more hands. They all looked sad and scared.

"Newkirk? It's Hogan. How do you feel?"

"Cold… Tired…"

"Okay, but you need to stay awake. Do you understand?"

"I think I can understand English, Gov'ner," he joked softly.

A smile played at Robert's lips. "Sure you can," he replied as he took a look at Peter's wound.

He watched.

_I'm done with this, I'm counting to ten._

He observed his friends. Louie was holding his hand. Andrew was crying. James looked shocked. Robert looked in control, but Peter knew he wasn't. When the Gov'ner looked up, Peter saw the grim expression in his eyes.

He knew.

_Bluest seas, running to them._

Peter had always loved the sea. To him, the sea was freedom. Out there, there were no houses, no buildings, and no crowds. There was just you and your boat with the wind at your back and the sun on your face. The sea was freedom, not here in a field in the middle of Germany. Here, there was war, pain, and death. Here people lived in fear. Praying that tonight there would be no air raid. That they would survive another day. That the War. Would. End.

He nodded.

_I feel like I am watching everything from space._

"Well, Colonel? Is he going to be alright?" asked Andrew with tears staining his cheeks. He looked so young.

Robert turned his head to face the young man. "I'm sorry," he said.

"No," Andrew sobbed turning his blue eyes on Peter, "Newkirk you can't die. Please, don't die!"

"Pierre…"

"It ain't your fault, Louie," Peter assured his friend.

"I should not have left you. If you had had someone else with you, we would not have missed the parole. You would not have been shot and you would not have had to run."

"It's alright, little mate. I don't blame ya."

He didn't.

_And in a minute I'll hear my name and I'll wake._

"Peter," James said.

"Wot, mate?"

"We're gonna miss you." He saw the tear tracks that lined the radioman's face.

"Ta, mate."

"Newkirk," Robert spoke up, "It's been an honor working with you."

"Same here, sir."

Looking around at his friends, his mates, his family, Peter continued, "You all 'ave been good to me. I don't know wot I did to deserve friends like you but I'll never regret it. You lot are the brothers I never 'ad."

"Peter, no…" Andrew cried.

"Be strong, Andrew."

He said.

_I think the finish line's a good place we could start._

As his sight faded, Peter saw the sky brighten. The stars disappeared and were replaced with white fluffy clouds. The sound of crashing waves met his ears. The sun shone on his face. A breeze tousled his hair. Sea gulls chirped. The sand felt rough on his hands and neck. With clear green eyes, Peter smile up at the sky. He was free.

He laughed.

_Take a deep breath, take in all that you could want._

He breathed in and breathed out. On that snow covered field, in his bloody Royal Air Force uniform, surrounded by his misfit family…

He died.

~I~

The End


End file.
